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Solid contact over swing speed

If you have ever watched a good golfer hitting balls on the range you will always notice one thing, they make it look so easy. In the progression of golf skills comes the realization that swinging hard leads to more problems than anything else. Amateurs have become obsessed with distance at the cost of learning how to hit different golf shots. More times than not, someone will tell you about a 300 yard downwind drive instead of a perfect half wedge to a tight pin. Part of this is human nature, always finding a positive, and the rest is just a misunderstanding of the game.

Talk to professional golfers and most of them will rarely talk about their driving distance. You are much more likely to here that they hit twelve of fourteen fairways or had twenty-six putts. Amateurs constantly put the emphasis on the wrong aspects of their game. The fact is professional are swinging at roughly 80% of their capacity. Every once in a great while you will see a player on the PGA Tour take real crack at a drive and then it becomes apparent they are taking it easy the rest of the time. This is because they care more about impact and accuracy of shots. Distance is important, but if you are more accurate taking an extra club and swinging within yourself then it must be done.

Next time you are on the range or playing a casual round try taking an extra club and really concentrate on keeping it under control. It should feel like you are swinging at 50% of your potential power, in reality you will be swinging about 80%. By doing this it allows you to stay in much better balance and make crisper contact. This will improve all aspects of your game.